Justin Thomas sends message to Aaron Rai while making comment about PGA Championship setup
· Yahoo Sports
Justin Thomas made a late Sunday charge to get himself into contention for the PGA Championship, but he was ultimately disappointed by Aaron Rai.
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Thomas shot a final round 65 to take the clubhouse lead at five-under, and while no one expected that lead to last long, by the time the final pairings had taken the turn onto the back nine, Thomas’ chances of a third Wanamaker Trophy had drastically increased.
Aaron Rai ended those hopes and dreams with a late charge down the back nine, finishing at nine-under par to win his first major championship. He fended off the likes of Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm, proving to be the class of the field.
After his final round, Thomas claimed he was exhausted after facing the worst of the windy conditions on this brutally tough setup around Aronimink. And he gave his final thoughts on the golf course on social media while sending a message to Rai.
Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty ImagesJustin Thomas shares thoughts on PGA Championship setup during Aaron Rai message
Many of the players, such as Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, took time to share their thoughts on the setup at Aronimink, saying it was so tough that there was no chance of separating on the leaderboard, which led to a bunched field on Sunday.
McIlroy said that was the sign of a poor setup in comments he walked back the next day, and Scheffler said they were the toughest pin positions he’s ever seen during his time on tour, which many fans took as a complaint.
Thomas, however, said that’s exactly how a major championship should be after he took to social media to congratulate Rai. He posted, “What an awesome week at Aronimink @PGAChampionship.
“Although it didn’t go exactly how I wanted, it sure was nice to post a number early yesterday to give myself a chance. Hats off to Aaron Rai with some insanely clutch shots down the stretch.
“I was so impressed with the course – how it managed to test both our discipline and precision all week. It begged us to challenge pins and play aggressively, and we found out early we’d be punished if we didn’t execute. Which in my opinion, are just as major championships should be”.
Fair play to Thomas, who rose to the occasion around this difficult golf course to give himself a chance on Sunday.
What cost Justin Thomas a chance of winning the PGA Championship
A solid start to the PGA Championship put Thomas in a strong position to win the tournament on the weekend, but his third round cost him dearly. His 72 on Saturday was his only over-par round of the tournament, leaving him too far off the pace to win.
Thomas will rue his ball striking during his third round when he reflects on the event. The American lost over a stroke off the tee and on approach as he caught a ride on the bogey train midway through his round. He even bogeyed the par-five ninth hole, which must have felt like a double.
He came back a different man on Sunday, playing far better with his irons, but someone from this bunched field was going to get hot eventually, and in the end it was Rai.
There were plenty of positives to take from the weekend, but one bad round was all it took for Thomas to fall short of his third major.